Robert Kleinendorst received his B.A. in Dance from Luther College in 1995. Immediately upon graduation, Robert moved to New York City to pursue a dance career. Robert attended daily classes at the Paul Taylor Dance Company while dancing for Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project, Gail Gilbert Dance Ensemble, and Cortez and Co. In 1998, Robert was asked to join Paul Taylor’s second company, Taylor 2. Robert was then asked to join Mr. Taylor’s main company in 2000 in which he danced until his retirement in 2019. In his 21 years with Paul Taylor, Robert danced 98 roles in 77 of Taylor’s dances and originated 28 roles with Mr. Taylor. He also originated roles with choreographers Larry Keigwin, Doug Varone, Lila York, Doug Elkins, Bryan Arias, Pam Tanowitz, Margie Gillis, and Kyle Abraham. In addition to his performing career, Robert taught master classes domestically and abroad as well as teaching at the Taylor School in New York. Robert also took on the responsibilities of assistant rehearsal directing and administrating all of Mr. Taylor’s company auditions. Robert received his MFA in Dance from George Mason University in 2021. He spent the following year as the Coordinator of the Dance Department and Director of the Dance Company at Anne Arundel Community College. Robert is currently on faculty as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Towson University.
Robert started his love for the arts in music and theatre. He was a vocal major at Luther College with the intent to have a career in musical theatre when he began taking dance
classes and immediately fell in love. He finished his vocal major as well as adding a dance major with the intent of pursuing a career in concert dance. Throughout the years Robert’s love for music and theatre has never diminished. He was greatly utilized in character roles during his career with Paul Taylor and acting, imagination, and performance are key elements in his teaching and choreography. Robert has continued his love of music by singing and playing guitar and for a glorious 3 years, he was in a band that performed throughout New York City. Robert was also the company liaison for all live orchestras with Paul Taylor and he often creates and records his own music for choreography and class.
Robert has been married to another former Paul Taylor star, Amy Young (now Amy Kleinendorst) for 14 years and he has two incredible children with her, a daughter named Sadie who is 12 years old, and a son named Axel who is 9.
Brandi Coleman is an assistant professor in the Division of Dance at Southern Methodist University, where she teaches Jump Rhythm® Technique - a jazz-rhythm-based movement approach that transforms the moving body into a rhythm-driven percussion instrument. She was a performing member, rehearsal director, and associate artistic director of Jump Rhythm Jazz Project (JRJP), and received an Emmy Award in the category of “Outstanding Excellence On Camera/Performer” for her work in the Emmy-Award-winning documentary, Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There. She has toured nationally and internationally with JRJP to Finland, Italy, and Canada and has led more than 40 choreographic and teaching residencies at universities nationwide and globally. Her choreography, often set to jazz, blues, and funk music, has been presented at venues across the United States and internationally at the Aratani Theatre (Los Angeles), Newport Jazz Festival (Newport), Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (Calgary, Canada), Southern Theater (Minneapolis), Links Hall (Chicago), New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, River Center Theatre for the Performing Arts (Baton Rouge), the Winspear Opera House, Moody Performance Hall and the Eisemann Center for Performing Arts (Dallas), SUNY Brockport, Rhode Island College, James Madison University, Salve Regina University, Northwestern University, Stephens College, Carthage College, University of Dubuque, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Southern Methodist University. Her writing, “Performing Gender: Disrupting Performance Norms for Women in Jazz Dance Through Gender-Inclusive, Human-Centric Choreography,” is included in the book Rooted Jazz Dance: Africanist Aesthetics and Equity in the Twenty-First Century (University Press of Florida, 2022).
Mila Thompson is a professional dancer, choreographer, and educator with experience across professional performance and dance education. Her credits include national and international tours, including military tours as an NFL cheerleader performing for U.S. service members in locations such as Qatar, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, as well as national performances with the Michael Jackson Live Tribute Show, one of Las Vegas’ premier Michael Jackson tribute productions. She has danced, acted, and choreographed in commercials and movies for Lifetime and Disney. Mila teaches and coaches dancers of all ages, with an emphasis on hip hop and urban styles, focusing on strong foundations, musicality, confidence, and versatility while preparing students for collegiate teams and professional opportunities.
Katreena Snyder has been in Morgantown teaching and directing Kat & Co. for over 25 years. Before opening Kat received their earlier training with Linda Butcho, Katy Lyon-Palumbo, Christina Greenwell & Fiona Morris. Kat then attended The Hartford School of Ballet Performance and Teachers Training Program.
While in Hartford Ct. Kat was a company member of the Works Contemporary Dance Co. and also participated numerous community musical theatre productions. After furthering her dance education Kat returned to Morgantown, opened a dance school and became the rehearsal assistant & co. member for Kitchen Sink Dance Co. under the direction of Michael McGowen. Kat has completed the RYT 200 Yoga teacher training in 2015 and has been the acting assistant director for The State Theatre in Uniontown Pa. Nutcracker production for the past 10 years. Kat also was an adjunct dance faculty member at WVU 2014-2022.
Currently Kat is an instructor of many dance styles for all ages at Kat & Company Dance Studio in Morgantown WV .